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Magic comes to life in The Sims FreePlay this Halloween on Android and iOS

Games
News

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October 22, 2014

While your dreams of practicing witchcraft and wizardry might never come to fruition in real life, it doesn’t mean you can’t let it happen for your characters in The Sims. Electronic Arts has pushed an update for The Sims FreePlay that allows you to conjure spells, create potions, fly on broomsticks and have an or a dragon for a pet (sorry Daenerys Targaryen, but you’re not the only one with dragons) just in time for Halloween.

In order to start turning other people into toads, you’ll require a character that’s at least level 8. The update does remind us of Hogwarts and Harry Potter at large. The update is available for free on Android and iOS. Unfortunately, like many other Halloween celebrations, Windows Phone users have been kept out of the party. Grab the update for the free game at the links below.

The Sims FreePlay – Play Store

The Sims FreePlay – App Store

Changelog for The Sims Freeplay:

• Discover a world of magic and charms in the Book of Spells Quest – construct Sorcerous Supplies to unlock it
• Conjure up mysterious collectibles in the new Spell Casting Hobby and unlock a gorgeous pet Owl
• Hatch your very own mythical pet Dragon! Handle with care, they are a little bit fiery
• Soar to the skies in the gravity-defying Broomstick Flying Hobby – complete the Spell Casting Hobby and wait until the witching hour on Halloween to unlock it!
• Enchant your friends with stylish new Wizard Costumes, perfect for your magical Sim
• Pick up all your mystical wares at Sorcerous Supplies; it’s stocked full of crystal balls, cauldron fireplaces, and much more
• Find frightful new items every day leading up to Halloween – starts Oct 25!

Nokia releases HERE Maps Beta for Android 4.1 and above

Sharang Sharma

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October 21, 2014

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It seems like Nokia’s split and acquisition of one those newly formed companies by Microsoft gave Android users something to cheer about. Nokia HERE Maps, which had until now remained exclusive to Microsoft’s platforms, has been launched on Android. Although the app was rumored to stay exclusive to Samsung’s devices, that is not the case and the app is compatible with all devices running on Android 4.1 and higher.

Instead of launching on the Play Store, Nokia has provided the direct link for HERE Maps on its blog. The app is still in beta and Nokia is probably looking for some early testers before launching the app on the Play Store. The build version for the app is 175, while that of the one leaked a few days back was 174. HERE Maps on Android offers offline maps, turn by turn voice navigation, live traffic info for 40 countries and more. Particularly, offline maps offers an advantage over Google Maps, since you can use HERE Maps even if you don’t have a data connection available. Maps for different regions are downloaded on you phone’s local storage.

You can download the app from Nokia’s website here.

Features:

-Offline navigation: Interactive maps and turn-by-turn voice guidance are still available even without an internet connection.
-Maps to download and to use offline for nearly 100 countries.
-Public transport maps and directions for over 800 cities in over 40 countries, also when you’re offline.
-Live traffic info for more than 40 countries.
-Plan your journey on beta.here.com, then find your way there using your mobile.
-Personalise your map by creating Collections of your favourite places.
-Share your location with family and friends in real time as you go via Glympse. It’s private, secure and safe.

Dropbox adds support for TouchID sensor for iOS 8

Sharang Sharma

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October 21, 2014

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An year after Apple first introduced TouchID fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5s, Dropbox has added its functionality to its app on iOS8. Although, we suspect the delay is due to the addition of new devices sporting fingerprint scanner.

You can now get access to your Dropbox account on iOS 8 by simply swiping your finger over the TouchID sensor. Yes, no more passwords required. Version 3.5 also brings support for the recently released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The update also brings a fix for previewing RTF files on iOS 8.

Dropbox is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod running on iOS 7 and above.

Dropbox – App Store

Changelog for Dropbox version 3.5:

-Use your fingerprint to unlock Dropbox with TouchID support (iOS 8 only)
-Support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
-Fix for previewing RTF files on iOS 8

Skype’s adds doodle drawing in the new update for Windows Phone

Sharang Sharma

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October 21, 2014

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Skype has pushed a new update for the app on Windows Phone. What makes this update interesting is the fact that it introduces doodle drawing on the platform. You heard it right, Skype has been planning to take the fight to other messenger services out there by adding features that competitors have to offer one after the other.

Version 2.24 for Windows Phone 8.1 allows you to draw either on a canvas or add touches to existing photos. You can also draw on a map, allowing you to share custom handmade routes on Bing maps. Fantastic! To start drawing, simply tap “+” in a conversation and select “drawing”.

That’s not all though, since the update also allows you to sign in using your Microsoft account on Windows Phone, thus saving time. It will also make use of the HD screens out there as well as resume faster thanks to better optimizations.

The feature is exclusive to Windows Phone for now. Grab it at the link below.

Skype – Windows Phone

Changelog for Skype 2.24:

– Share your drawings, add a personal touch to photos or annotate maps.
– Skype now gets back up and running quicker.
– Instant sign in with your Microsoft account or the flexibility to use your Skype Name.
– Got HD screen resolution? Skype will now show in all its glory.
– Start Skype calls the easy way from the web and from chats, with third-party app access to Skype.

Spotify announces new family plans for up to 5 members

Music
News

Promil Bhardwaj

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October 20, 2014

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Following the recent growing trend, Spotify has announced a new family plan that can be shared with the entire family. The new plan allows to add up to 5 members who will share one billing account. Meanwhile, each user’s listening history, recommendations and playlists will be kept completely separate (for obvious reasons). Every member will also have the option to play music at the same time.

The new family plan will allow users to save as much as 50 percent on Spotify Premium for every additional member after the first one. The plans go as, $14.99 for two members, $19.99 for three, $24.99 for four, and $29.99 for five members. Currently, the service costs $9.99 per account.

The new Spotify family plan will be rolled out in the coming days across the globe. More details can be found here.

Gmail 5.0 for Android will sync with multiple email accounts

Sharang Sharma

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October 20, 2014

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It seems like Gmail for Android will not only get the new Material Design in Android Lollipop, but will also add a new major feature. Discovered by folks at AndroidPolice, Gmail 5.0 will be able to sync with multiple accounts including Yahoo, Outlook and others. Users will be able to switch between accounts simply with a swipe or by touching the account drop down. That implies you will no longer need third party clients to stay logged in to multiple accounts on your phone and Gmail will be your one stop shop to check your emails (which should also help in preserving battery life).

Other than this, it seems like Google has been hard at work to give Gmail a new look. The app will show round avatars and a cleaner overall look. The update will be available to users once Android 5.0 Lollipop is released for the masses. Check out the trailer for the upcoming update below.

[Source]

Google adds rating filter to searches in the Play Store

Android
News

Sachin Sharma

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October 20, 2014

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Ever need to find an app in the Play Store that is lost among a sea of spam and look alikes? Google’s made your job easier by introducing a new rating filter in the Play Store. The new filter limits the searches to only those apps that are rated 4 stars or above, removing tons of unwanted results in the process and saving users’ time and bandwidth.

To activate the filter, simply tap on all ratings drop down in the apps section and select “4 star+” and that should do it. There aren’t any other options in the dropdown, but Google might add them later, since some high profile apps don’t necessarily get that high ratings (remember how the Facebook Messenger ratings sank when they made it a compulsory download) or see a dip in ratings after some policy changes or an update.

Still, the filter is a particularly helpful option in the hands of users and should deter some nuisance developers trying to cash in on other apps’ popularity.

Fruit Ninja celebrates 30th anniversary of the first Ghostbusters movie in the latest update

Sharang Sharma

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October 20, 2014

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Fruit Ninja and Ghostbusters have come together in a tie up to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Ghostbusters movie. The new update for Fruit Ninja celebrates the milestone by featuring content from the franchise (not unlike some of the Angry Birds tie ups we’ve seen recently).

Not only does Fruit Ninja a new Ghost Busters inspired theme, but it also gets a Proton Pack blade that can be used to slide ghost traps to release spooky clusters of fruit. All in all, it doesn’t seem like too shameless a tie up trying to rip off money from customers (ahem, Angry Birds Transformers, ahem) and something that would be appreciated by both the fans of the games and the movie series.

The update is available for download on Android and iOS. Though the game is available on Windows Phone, it hasn’t been made part of the celebration. You can grab Fruit Ninja for the other two platforms from the links below. The game costs $0.99, but comes with a free trial as well. The update is of course free for existing users of the game.

Fruit Ninja – Play Store

Fruit Ninja – App Store

BBM will get even more secure thanks to the latest update

Sharang Sharma

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October 19, 2014

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With all the recent leak scandals on iCloud and more recently, Snapchat, you’d obviously want your conversations to reach only their intended recipients. BlackBerry, which is still among the best when it comes to providing security to your data has jumped to the scene and announced an update for BBM on Android, iOS and BB10 that makes the messenger even more secure.

First of all, the new update for the BlackBerry Messenger introduces timed messages. It allows you to set a timer on your messages allowing them to be seen for only a set period of time once opened. Just tap on a message before sending it and it should be set with a trigger. Once the recipient takes his finger off the screen or the time runs out, the message gets deleted. The best part is that if the person receiving the message tries to act smart with capturing a screenshot, the sender is notified of his mischief.

BBM also gives users the option to retract sent messages. Users can recall sent text messages (no images) in one-to-one conversations before these messages get in the wrong hands. This can be handy in instances like giving someone your credit card details for a one time purchase and you not wanting that information to stay on the recipient’s phone forever.

BBM 2.5 will be rolling out for iOS, Android and BB10 soon.

BBM – Android

BBM – iOS

[Source: BlackBerry]

Flickr launches its iPad app just in time for the new iPads

Promil Bhardwaj

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October 18, 2014

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Flickr has launched its app on the App Store designed to be used on the iPad. Although not the quickest to make the tablet optimized version of their app, they certainly did beat Instagram at it. The app is available globally in 11 languages and has been optimized for the larger high resolution displays on the iPad family.

Flickr for iPad is capable of showing up to 3MP images and supports both landscape and portrait modes. Of course, you can also use the app to capture images from your tablet and apply filters before posting them on the photo sharing network. You also have the option to share these photos on other social network sites like Facebook and Twitter. Flickr has also updated search and the new unified search makes searching for pics easier by no longer requiring tagging or metadata.

Current Flickr app users should see an update waiting for them to be downloaded in the App Store, taking the app to version 3.2.

Flickr for iPad and iPhone – App Store

Changelog for Flickr version 3.2:

– Integration with iOS 8 Share Extension
– Ability to access and edit photo details
– Unified search across your photos, albums, groups and Flickr photos
– Performance and stability improvements
– Bug fixes